Pictures of the Past
by Yuushi-chan
Summary: The Host Club has returned from their year abroad in Boston. Mori and Hani resume their studies at Ouran University. Everything is back to normal until Mori gets a series of messages from a mysterious photographer. In order to find out who it is, Mori must solve clues hidden in each picture of the anonymous sender.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This is a multi-chapter story about Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka and Asuka Ryokei from my one shot _You Look Good in Lace_. I have made changes to Asuka's character in looks and personality. Also, this story will follow story lines from the manga and the omake manga. Mori is slightly more talkative, but I think that's okay because while reading the later chapters of the manga, Mori seemed to have longer pieces of dialogue.

**Chapter 1**

Takashi walked up the steps to the second floor corridor of Ouran University. He and the other hosts had only come back three days ago from Boston. His time in the United States had been educational and interesting, but the truth was, he had missed home. He actually missed his loud mouth brother, Satoshi. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought about when he arrived home. Satoshi had been so anxious for Takashi to come home that he practically tackled him in the doorway.

He arrived at the classroom. He peeked inside. The previous class was finishing up their lecture. Takashi leaned against the stone wall, his black leather bag hanging from his shoulder loosely.

"Mori-kun," a girl's voice called out. "You're back from your time abroad."

Takashi looked over toward the girl. She had been a regular at the Host Club before they had all left. She had just entered the University this term.

She stopped in front of him a light blush dusting her cheeks. "Did you have a good time?"

"Hmm, I suppose," Takashi answered.

"Did something happen?" She asked nervously.

"No, I just missed home," he answered.

"Oh, well, we're all glad that you and the others came back," she smiled. "But I heard that Kyoya-kun stayed behind."

"Yes, he stayed to go to university there," Takashi answered.

She looked at the watch on her wrist and her eyes went wide, "Oh, I'm sorry Mori-kun, I need to get to class. I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Takashi answered and entered the now empty classroom.

When the lecture started, Takashi dutifully took detailed notes and wrote questions for himself to answer later. At the end of the two hour class, Takashi made his way to the first library to meet Mitskuni. When he arrived, his cousin wasn't there yet. He chose a table and settled in. He took out the thick book for his next class and began skimming over the contents of the chapter they would be discussing.

After fifteen minutes, Takashi was fully engrossed in the reading. His right arm leaned on the table, fingers poised to turn the page, his left arm bent and a gentle fist supporting his head. He didn't hear the light clicking of a camera shutter going off. He was finally broken out of his trance when Mitskuni sat down.

"Hi Takashi," he greeted.

Takashi smiled at his cousin. "How was class?"

"It was fun," Mitskuni giggled. "How was your class, Takashi?"

"Good, intriguing," he answered.

"I don't think you noticed, but there was a girl here a moment ago. She was taking pictures of you studying."

Takashi scanned the library, but didn't see any girls with cameras. His brow furrowed. Why was someone taking pictures of him?

"I think she went out to the gardens," Mitskuni said.

"Okay," Takashi said turning the page of the book.

Mitskuni frowned at his cousin, "You're not going to find out why she was taking pictures of you?"

"No," he answered shortly. That was where Takashi left the conversation. He was curious, but he had a lot of work to do.

xXx

By four o'clock in the afternoon, Takashi and Mitskuni were both done with classes for the day. They always shared a car home as the compounds of the two families were next door to each other.

"Takashi."

"Yeah?"

"What if she posts the photos to the public?" Mitskuni asked.

"Then, I will handle it," Takashi said coolly.

"Okay," Mitskuni smiled and stepped out of the car heading to his home.

Takashi stayed in the car for the extra five minutes it took to get to the Morinozuka compound. He grabbed his bag and walked briskly through the front hall to his room. He flipped open his laptop and signed in starting to become impatient with how slow he felt it was processing. He clicked the internet logo and as he waited for the page to load, Piyo clucked and ran towards him jumping onto his shoulder. The chicken nuzzled Takashi's ear and the man patted the bird softly on the head.

When the page finally loaded, Takashi went to Google and typed in his name seeing what came up. He looked through pictures from the Host Club and other events. He didn't find any pictures of himself from earlier in the day. He wondered if the girl taking pictures was a photography student. He quickly found a new search where he looked up photography students at Ouran University. There were pictures of each student, but he didn't even know where to start. He hadn't seen her, Mitskuni had.

Takashi grabbed his cellphone and dialed Mitskuni's number. His cousin picked up immediately.

"What's up, Takashi?" he answered.

"The girl that was taking pictures, what did she look like?" Takashi said quickly.

"Well, it was really hard to tell since her face was covered by the camera. She was dressed professionally though, and the camera looked high-grade. She might not have been a student. Why?"

"I'm worried. Why was she taking pictures of me?"

"If the pictures haven't shown up anywhere yet I wouldn't be too worried," Mitskuni said. "She could have been working for the university, getting pictures for the new brochure."

"Right, thanks," Takashi hung up.

He continued to look through the students in the photography section. He didn't recognize any names of students that he had any connection to. There was a knock at his bedroom door.

"Takashi-sama, dinner is ready," one of the servants had come to tell him.

He sighed and shut down the computer knowing that it was useless. He didn't know her name or what she looked like even. He was still concerned, but tried his best to put it out of his mind.

When he kneeled at the table, his mother, Hiromi, was watching him carefully. He kept his eyes on the plate in front of him.

"How was school today, boys?" his mother asked.

Satoshi immediately jumped into a wild story of his classes and activities at school. Hiromi listened but continued to watch her eldest son. When Satoshi began speaking of other things, his mother interrupted him.

"Takashi-kun, is everything all right? You seem more introverted than usual," she asked.

He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure how much of a big deal the photos were.

"Taka-nii, what's wrong?" Satoshi asked.

"Class was fine. I took a lot of detailed notes," Takashi answered.

"Takashi-kun, answer your mother," his father commanded.

"Someone was taking pictures of me in the library today while I was studying. Mitskuni saw her. He says she looked professional and may have been working with the university."

Takashi's parents looked at each other, "Well, that explains the envelope we got today," his father said.

Takashi's brow furrowed, "What envelope?"

Hiromi called for her lady-in-waiting to fetch the envelope and give it to Takashi. The family continued eating, but Takashi had lost his appetite. Satoshi ate as he normally would, quickly and many helpings.

The manila envelope was placed next to Takashi's plate. He opened it and dumped three pictures into his lap. The first picture was of him studying in the library earlier that day, the second was of him leaning against the stone wall before his first class this morning, and the third was a photo of the culprit, but his couldn't see her face. The picture had been taken with a mirror. Her entire form was visible except her face was hidden by the camera. Across the bottom of the photo was a hand-written message in blue marker. "_Find me_."

Takashi looked up at his parents. They were watching him intently. His father spoke first.

"What will you do?" he asked.

Takashi stared at the three pictures again. He had no idea how to find this woman.

"I'm under the impression that you are acquainted with this woman," Hiromi said over the tea she sipped.

He rarely got mad, but this was one of those rare times. He was being forced to find someone. He could do nothing, but she would probably continue to take pictures of him and send more messages. She wouldn't leave him alone. He threw the pictures on the ground and stood abruptly from the table.

"Please excuse me, Father, Mother," he bowed to them and went to the backyard to blow of some steam by practicing kendo.

He didn't know what to do. He felt like he was being blackmailed somehow, but at the same time not. She had written 'Find me' but didn't add an 'or else' or something threatening. He felt very unobservant, though. Normally he picked up a lot of information by watching the people around him. He hadn't noticed this woman, and he felt ashamed somehow.

Takashi cut down more dummies as his father came walking softly toward him.

"I don't think she means harm, Takashi-kun," he told his son. "There was no threatening message."

"No, there was not," Takashi said.

"Why are you so angry?"

"I didn't notice her. The way Mitskuni told me made me think she was close by, and yet…"

"We cannot be attentive all the time. The brain needs rest," his father put his hand on Takashi's shoulder.

"What do I do?" Takashi asked lowering the point of his sword to the grass.

"That is up to you, son, but if it were me I would wait for a clue. I have a feeling more messages will come for you," his father turned and went back to the house.

Takashi went to his bedroom and found the pictures sitting on his desk. He picked up the picture of the photographer. The clothing was expensive, a name brand. She came from a wealthy family. He looked closer at the picture. Her nails were painted; a gold flower ring clung to the middle finger of her right hand. He put the photo down and went to his bathroom to get ready for bed.

He turned on the faucet for a hot shower. After a few minutes, steam began to fill the bathroom. He stepped into the hot water and felt his muscles begin to relax. No matter how much he tried to stop thinking, the photo of the culprit kept popping into his mind. He couldn't help but feel there was something important about her nails. He finished his shower quickly and dried himself off. He tied a towel around his waist and went to the picture again.

Takashi pulled a magnifying glass out of the top drawer of his desk. He looked closer at her nails. What he had thought was an odd design was actually the kanji for "wind" and "Sakura." He wrote it down on the picture itself and tried to think about what that meant. He thought of the cherry blossom trees on the grounds of the Ouran campus. The trees typically bloomed during the first week of April on campus and that month was also particularly windy.

He felt the smile tug at the corners of his mouth, "I met you in April."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Takashi awoke having had a very odd dream. He had been standing on a path lined by Sakura trees. The breeze that had come through brought the sweet scent of the blossoms. He saw the form of a shadowy figure at the end of the path. When he was nearly in the spot when the figure stood he heard the woman whisper "find me" and she was gone. He had woken up right after that. Takashi wiped his hand down his face and exhaled. His eyes wandered to the alarm clock at his bed side. He still had twenty minutes until it was set to go off, but he knew he couldn't sleep anymore.

He got out of bed and fixed the sheets, making it look presentable again. Takashi pulled on some flexible clothing and made his way down to the home gym. It seemed that Satoshi was just waking up and his father had already left for work. He knew his mother wouldn't be awake for another hour.

Takashi flipped on the light in the workout room. It was covered in mats, weights were off to the right side of the room. He went in the direction of the weights and stretched before doing bicep curls. He did his normal weight routine and added in a few push-ups and crunches before ending with squats. Takashi stretched once more feeling much more awake and refreshed. He went back to his room to shower and get his things together for his classes.

Takashi turned off the alarm on his clock and grabbed his cell phone. Before putting it in his pocket he checked it for messages. There was a text from Mitskuni and one from Hikaru. He flipped it open and read Mitskuni's first.

*Takashi, did you find anything out about the anonymous photographer?*

Takashi took a moment to think about his reply before sending the text, *Yes. I'll tell you in person.*

Takashi checked Hikaru's message, *Mori-senpai, are you and Hani-senpai coming to the Host Club today? Tono says he'll be able to make this meeting happen.*

He replied, *Yes, Mitskuni and I will be there.*

He put the phone in his pocket and felt light-headed all of a sudden. His stomach growled loudly. It was then that he remembered he hadn't eaten much of his dinner last night. He grabbed his bag and went to the kitchen. The staff had laid out a good spread. Satoshi was already at the table working on his second helping.

"Hey Taka-kun," he smiled.

"Satoshi, you shouldn't eat so much in the morning. It's bad for your digestive system," Takashi kneeled at the table. He scooped the last omerice on his plate and ate silently.

"Did you work anything out about the mystery sender, Taka-kun?"

"A little," Takashi answered putting a few more items on his plate. He was so hungry this morning! "She hid a clue in the picture of herself."

"There's a picture of her?" Satoshi turned his attention to his brother. His eyes widened at the amount of food on Takashi's plate. He mumbled, "And you told me not to eat so much."

Takashi glared at his brother, "I didn't eat dinner. And yes, there's a picture of her, but her face is hidden."

"Oh," Satoshi said.

The head of staff entered the kitchen, "Takashi-sama, Satoshi-sama, the car is here to take you to school. The Haninozuka's are waiting for you."

Takashi nodded and took one last bit of his food before standing and following his energetic brother to the car waiting out front. He got in the car and took his seat next to Mitskuni. He stayed silent while Satoshi rambled about this and that to Chika. Takashi felt Mitskuni's eyes on him.

The younger siblings were dropped off at the high school section of Ouran first. Mitskuni and Takashi were alone in the car.

"What happened last night, Takashi?" Mitskuni asked.

"She sent the pictures to my house."

"What?"

Takashi pulled the manila folder out of his bag and handed it over to Mitskuni. They got out of the car and made their way into the main building of the university. Before they parted ways, Mitskuni pulled the three photos out and examined them. When he got to the picture of the photographer his eyes narrowed. Takashi knew he was reading the words written all over the picture, 'Find me,' in the woman's hand writing, 'wind,' 'Sakura,' and 'April' in Takashi's hand writing.

"Where did you get these words from?" Mitskuni asked confused.

Takashi pointed to the woman's painted nails, "I used a magnifying glass."

"Are you going to play the game?"

"I have no want to, but I'm sure she won't leave me alone until I 'find' her," Takashi answered. He pulled out his cell phone to check the time. "I have to get the class."

Mitskuni put the photos back in the folder and handed it back to Takashi, "Okay, meet me in the library after class. We'll go to the high school together."

Takashi nodded and headed in the opposite direction as his cousin. He felt himself being more attentive as he walked to the classroom. He walked past the central courtyard and entered the classroom. This one was different from other classrooms because it was set up like a courtroom. It gave law students a chance to create mock trials. Today was the introduction to this level.

Takashi took a seat in the first row of bench seats. He pulled out his notebook. This class was different. It was more of a discussion of law rather than a study of it. He had to admit, this was one of his more exciting classes.

More students began filing into the room. There was a surprising amount of people in this section of the class. Takashi counted once everyone was accounted for. There were thirty-two law students. The professor began speaking.

"This semester you will be participating in mock trials with your classmates. You will work in groups of four to complete a case. Two of you will act as lawyers while the other two will be the accused and the one filing charges. After the first trial ends you will switch roles giving everyone a chance to participate as a lawyer. The success of the case will not determine your grade. What will determine it is the preparation put into your case, how well you comprehend the material, and the level at which information in delivered. There will be no exams in this course. I suggest you take as many notes as possible during the trials. Everyone not participating in the trial will fill out evaluations which will be turned in to me. This will act as the jury and the verdict of your case. Are there any questions?" He asked.

The girl sitting directly behind Takashi raised her hand, "Yes, Professor, how will we be picking our cases?"

"Ah, yes," he started. "I have scenarios in the bucket on my desk from which you can choose or you may come up with a scenario on your own. If you choose the latter you must consult me. I am here to help you succeed and I want to make sure you are creating a case that is solvable without too much confusion."

A boy in the back raised his hand, "Will we be picking our own groups or have they been assigned?"

"I have assigned the groups," he answered passing out a sheet with the groups listed. "There will be a trial each week starting next week. I suggest for the first two groups that you pick a scenario from the bucket."

Takashi looked at the sheet and saw he was in a group with two other men and one woman. He knew the woman as she had been a regular at the host club; one of Tamaki's customers. He only acquainted with the two men in his group.

"Now, find your groups, introduce yourselves, and discuss," the professor announced.

Takashi stood and before he could move much the woman was in front of him. She had curly black hair and brown eyes set in a thin pale face. She smiled brightly at him.

"Hello Mori-kun," she said. "I don't know if you remember me. I'm Junkata Aiko."

"I remember," Takashi smiled causing her to blush.

The two men came up to him and introduced themselves as Akinoto Jun and Tichibana Roshi. Takashi introduced himself and they discussed the schedule. They would be having their first trial during the sixth week and then again on the fourteenth week. It was decided that Aiko and Roshi would be the attorneys in the first trial. They exchanged emails and were going to brainstorm about what scenario they were going to make into a case. The rest of the class time was devoted to introducing themselves to their peers.

When class was over Takashi decided to take his half hour break in the courtyard. There were plenty of students chatting and studying. He recognized a couple of people he graduated with and quite a few he didn't. He picked a tree with good shade and took a seat. He leaned back, resting his head against the tree and closed his eyes for a moment. After a minute he opened his bag and took out his note book. He started writing down case scenarios that he would email to his group members when he got home.

It had taken him almost his full break to come up with a good list of scenarios. He packed up his things and went to his next class. This one was a theory class. It wasn't his favorite, especially since his brain felt like mush afterward from the fast paced lecture. He went to the cafeteria to grab lunch during his next break. A few of the girls who frequented the Host club came to sit with him. They wanted to know how he liked his time abroad last year and if he was enjoying his studies. They asked if he missed Hani which seemed odd to him as he still saw him every day. He just figured that they found it odd to see him without his cousin. He continued to eat and answer shortly as he always did. They asked if he would be visiting the Host Club any time soon.

"Today, Mitskuni and I are visiting the Host Club. Tamaki will be there, too," he answered.

They three ladies who were sitting at his table squealed with delight.

"Excuse me," Takashi said before taking care of his tray and heading to his last class.

At the end of his last class, a history of famous trials, Takashi went to the library. He made a few adjustments to his notes as he waited for Mitskuni. He only had to wait a half hour until his cousin met him.

"Ready to head to the high school, Takashi?" Mitskuni asked.

"Yeah," he answered smiling a little because Mitskuni didn't have Usa-chan with him today.

"Okay!" Mitskuni giggled and the two walked to the high school. When they entered the third music room, they found everyone except Kyoya waiting for them.

"It's a good thing Kyoya-senpai isn't here or he'd make some comment about you being late," Kaoru said.

"I wonder how Kyo-chan is doing." Mitskuni said.

"He's fine, sticking to his studies constantly, according to Tono," Hikaru answered.

"Mori-senpai," Tamaki approached. "This came for you about fifteen minutes ago." Tamaki handed him a manila envelope.

"Another one?" Mitskuni asked.

"What do you mean by 'another one,' Hani-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"Takashi had an envelope sent to his house yesterday," the loli boy answered. "It's a mystery!"

"Mystery?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked at the same time.

Takashi sat on one of the couches and opened the new folder. Three photos fell out. One of him sitting in the mock court room by himself, one of him leaning against the tree in the courtyard, and one of the photographer, or what he thought could be the photographer. It was the picture of a foot, presumably a woman's, standing on a mat typically used in martial arts. Takashi flipped over the last picture. There was writing on this one, too.

"I'm sure you figured out the clue in the last photo. You're a smart man. So, here's a new one." It was the same hand writing from yesterday's photo.

Everyone was leaning over the back of the couch to get a look at the photos.

"Is this person black mailing you, Mori-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"No," he answered as he pulled the first envelope from his bag and opened it. The twins grabbed the photos from him and looked through them.

"Find me?" Tamaki asked.

"I think it's a game," Takashi said.

"Oooooh," Hikaru laughed. "I like this woman."

"Any idea who it is?" Kaoru asked.

Takashi shook his head and went back to looking at the new photos. He couldn't find anything unusual about the foot itself. Nothing like the nail polish.

"Mori-senpai," Haruhi started. "Where did you get these words?"

He turned to look at Haruhi who was holding the picture toward him. He pointed at the woman's hands.

"Her nails," he answered.

Tamaki grabbed the photo and narrowed his eyes, "How can you see that?"

"There's something called a magnifying glass, Tono," Hikaru poked fun at him.

"Oh, right," Tamaki laughed. "Well, I think we should leave this to Mori-senpai for now. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Okay," Takashi answered. He looked around the room and thought of something. "Tamaki, who delivered the envelope?"

"A couple of middle school girls," he said.

Takashi nodded. He knew it wouldn't be that easy to identify the woman. He put the pictures away and gathered the other envelope from the twins.

"Let's get ready for our guests," Tamaki said while Haruhi put tea sets on every table.

Mitskuni was already sitting at the usual table digging into a piece of cake. Takashi sat across from him and packed up his bag. The doors were opened and the customers filed into the room. Word had travelled fast that Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai would be at the Host Club this afternoon. Takashi was inside his own head a lot more than usual and the guests could see it.

At the end of the day, Mitskuni and Takashi said goodbye to the other hosts and headed home in the shared car.

"Have you thought of anything yet?" Mitskuni asked.

"No," Takashi answered. "This photo isn't quite as obvious."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Takashi. And just like Tama-chan said, if you need help, don't hesitate to ask."

Takashi nodded and exited the car to head to his home. By the time he got in the door he felt exhausted. His classes, the Host Club, and the new photos had turned his brain to mush. He went to his room to email the case scenarios to his classmates. He laid down on his bed and looked at the new photo. After almost twenty minutes of staring at the picture he gave up and went down stairs to eat dinner with his family.

He told his parents about the new photos and finished dinner without having to explain too much. When he went up to his room again, he decided it was time to sleep. He brushed his teeth, set his alarm, and changed his clothes before collapsing into bed. He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Takashi carried around the two envelopes the rest of the week. It was Friday and he had yet to figure out the clue hidden in the picture of the foot. He used a magnifying glass, cold, heat, black light, but nothing had revealed pertinent information. At the end of his classes, Takashi went to the library to study a bit. He had a quiz the following Monday and needed to make sure he was prepared. He sat down at a table and opened his book while scanning his notes. After five minutes he knew he was doomed. There was no way he was going to be able to study while thinking about the photograph. He exhaled heavily through his nose and gave in, pulling the envelope out of his bag.

He pulled the foot picture out and stared at it. He felt his brain ticking. He thought through every possibility. He knew it was a dojo of some sort. The blue mats gave that away. He focused on that. Maybe he could narrow down the type of martial art. Takashi looked closer at the mat. It was standard, nothing special. His eyes scanned upward and he saw something that helped narrow it down. Blurred and out of focus behind the foot were black ropes outlining the mats. It signified Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, or Muay Thai. It was a fighting ring. Kendo didn't use boundaries that way hand-to-hand combat did. He thought about each individual sport. Tae Kwon Do and Judo were both Olympic sports, Karate and Muay Thai were not.

Mitskuni took the seat next to Takashi, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Still hung up on that picture, huh, Takashi?" the blonde boy asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"Figure anything out?"

"Yeah."

"What?" Mitskuni leaned closer to look at the photograph.

"Mixed martial arts, it's a ring." Takashi pointed to the black ropes outlining the top portion of the picture.

"Hmm, what kind though?"

Takashi shook his head signifying he didn't know yet. "Do you know any dojos that teach more than one martial art?"

Mitskuni tapped his chin and thought for a moment, "Yeah, actually, isn't there that small family owned dojo in downtown that is always advertising in the papers? I forget the name. It's the one with yin-yang sign and they're always boasting the best masters."

"Ah," Takashi said shortly. "I think I'll visit it."

"You think there's something there?"

"Maybe," Takashi said and put the picture away. He went back to studying, feeling a bit better about working out a detail.

Mitskuni was eating a small pack of cookies while filling out a sheet of calculus problems. Most people didn't know the Haninozuka heir was so smart. They were thrown off by his boyish looks and disposition. Takashi smiled to himself and continued surveying his textbook.

The cousins stayed in the library for almost two hours before heading back to their respective homes.

"What are you going to do this weekend Takashi?" Mitskuni asked.

"I'm going to visit that dojo downtown," Takashi answered. "And you, Mitskuni?"

"Reiko-chan is coming over tomorrow to meet otou-san and kaa-san," he giggled.

Takashi smiled, "She really likes you, Mitskuni."

"I know. I like her a lot, too."

"Good."

Mitskuni smiled at his cousin before exiting the car. Takashi thought about the past week. He was being stalked and had been given a chance to track down a woman who seemed oddly interested in him. It had given him a thrill. He was looking forward to going to the dojo. Maybe he would get a lead and be just a little closer to meeting this woman. He smiled to himself.

"Taka-kun," Satoshi yelled when he stepped out of the car.

"Hey," he said ruffling his brother's hair.

"Otou-san said he needs to see you."

Takashi nodded and entered his home. The entry way was ornately decorated with old Japanese art and Morinozuka heirlooms. He dropped his bag next to the doorway knowing that one of the servants would bring it to his room. He made his way to the back of the house to his father's study. When he opened the door, his father was nowhere to be found. His brow furrowed. Takashi retreated and went to the dojo located in the basement. He opened the door and saw his father sitting patiently in the middle of the room dressed for a kendo match.

"Otou-san," Takashi greeted and bowed.

"Takashi," he answered and gestured with his head toward robes for him to change into.

Without another word, Takashi closed the door behind him and began to undress. He changed into his robes and folded his street clothes. Takashi came to kneel in front of his father. He bowed and when he raised his head, his father was smiling.

"You have matured so much," he spoke. "I am very proud of you."

"Thank you, Otou-san."

"I want to speak with you about your studies for a moment."

"Yes, Sir."

"Are you enjoying your pre-law classes?"

"Yes."

"What do you like about it?"

"I like having a chance to find my individuality."

"How so?" his father asked.

"I do not feel that I am being held back by anything. I am not saying that Mitskuni holds me back," he explained. "I just enjoy having a voice."

Akira grinned at his son and patted him on the head. He sat back and took in the sight of him.

"You are happy," it wasn't a question.

"I am," Takashi smiled back.

"Now, on to other matters, the photographs."

Takashi stiffened.

"Have you learned anything about the sender?" Akira asked.

"Only a little," Takashi answered. "There was a hidden clue that brought me to one bit of information."

"What information?"

"I apparently met her in April," Takashi told his father.

"Ah, anything else?"

"Not yet. I am going to pay a visit to the Shien Dojo tomorrow morning."

Akira cocked his head, "Why?"

"The newest picture, I have figured out was taken in a dojo. One that has a ring for hand-to-hand combat. Shien was the only one I could think of that teaches more than one form of martial arts."

"Hmm, that's a very good deduction," his father said rubbing his chin. "If you don't mind, I would like to have a look at that photograph after dinner."

"Of course," Takashi answered.

There was a pause while his father took a calming breath, "Shall we spar?"

"Yes," Takashi bowed and stood.

The sparred in the style of judo until one of the servants came to inform them that dinner was ready. The two men breathing quite heavily and sweating bowed to each other and exited the dojo. One of the servants down the hall gave them each a wet towel to wipe their faces and then a dry one to hang over the back of their necks. They continued on to the dining room.

"There are my other boys," Takashi's mother smiled as they came in.

"Hello, Dear," Akira bent to kiss his wife on the cheek.

Takashi took his seat next to Satoshi. His brother grinned at him and he ruffled Satoshi's hair in response.

The family began their meal together. Hiromi asked her husband about his day and then turned to her boys. This was their dinner every night, a time to catch up on each other's lives. Takashi felt his heart warm at the thought. Not many families were as close as his.

After dinner, Takashi went to his room to take a shower. The hot water felt good beating against his back. He finished and dried himself off before changing into bed clothes. He pulled a robe over his shoulders. Takashi pulled the picture of the foot out of his bag and hurried down the stairs to find his father. The older man was in the sitting room with his wife. Before entering the room, Takashi watched on for a moment. He watched his father hug his mother just a little tighter and kiss her neck. His mother sighed and leaned into his embrace. Twenty-two years of marriage and they still loved each other more every day.

Takashi cleared his throat before entering the room. His father turned his head to look over the top of the couch. He kissed his wife on the top of her head and got up. He motioned for Takashi to follow. They ended at the study. Akira closed the door when they were both inside. He took the picture out of his son's hands and took a seat behind the desk.

"Hmm, a dojo is definitely a good place to start," he commented. "What made you think Shien?"

"It was the only one I could think of that taught multiple disciplines," Takashi answered.

"That's not entirely true," he answered back. "I would suggest visiting the Kenjoto dojo as well as the Haninozuka's."

"The Haninozuka's?" Takashi asked.

"You forget," Akira paused. "They may be experts in judo as well as karate, but they do teach other disciplines to the public."

Takashi sighed feeling so stupid. "I did forget."

"Follow your gut and visit Shien first, though," Akira said handing back the photograph. "Any idea what you'll be looking for when you get there?"

"No," Takashi answered. "There is nothing in this picture that directs me to something specific."

"Hmm, well, I'm sure you'll know when you see it."

"I suppose."

Akira stood from behind the desk and patted his son on the head. "Good night, Takashi."

"Good night, Otou-san," Takashi answered before heading up to his room for bed. He would sleep on it, and think about his options. He was glad he talked to his father. It helped to have an outside perspective.

He laid in bed, darkness surrounding him, but he couldn't sleep. He stared at the ceiling. Something was bothering him. The fact that she could be leading him to the Haninozuka's dojo bothered him a great deal. He didn't want to have to confront his cousin about that. Takashi sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. He turned over and tried his best to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The sun shined through the navy blue curtains. The sound of sparrows chirping outside the window signaled the beginning of a new day. In his bed, Takashi took a deep breath and rolled over. He opened his eyes to the semi-dark room. He folded his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. There was a dip in the bed as his tanuki slinked up toward the pillows. He nuzzled Takashi's cheek and curled up on his shoulder. Piyo clucked and jumped onto the bed feeling left out. He stood on Takashi's chest and put his beak to his nose. Takashi smiled and slipped one hand out from behind his head to pat the bird.

The three laid there on the bed content with the company. Not before long, there was a knock at the door.

"Hmm," Takashi grunted.

The door slid open and his mother stood in the doorway. She smiled at the sight.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said walking into the room and kissing her son's forehead. "Your father told me what you're doing today. I wanted to wish you good luck before I ran off for the day."

"Where are you going?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, I'm just meeting some friends," she said running her fingers through Takashi's hair. He closed his eyes and sighed. It had been a long time since his mother had done this. He had missed it. Hiromi chuckled at her son's reaction, "I've missed this. No matter how old you get, you'll still be my baby."

Takashi opened his eyes and shook his head lightly, "I know, Kaa-san."

"Any requests for dinner?" she asked.

"No," he answered.

"Okay," she leaned down and kissed his forehead again. "I'll see you tonight."

"Hmm," Takashi answered as his mother left the room and closed the door.

He laid there for five more minutes before he gently moved his animals and got out of bed. He stretched feeling his shoulders and back pop a bit. He patted Piyo and his tanuki on the head before heading into his bathroom to take care of business and take a hot shower.

By the time he was done with his shower, Takashi felt more awake and his mind was already going through the possibilities of what he would find once he got to the right dojo. He changed and looked at his clock. It was already nine o'clock. He made his way downstairs and said good morning to the staff. They presented him with breakfast which he took his time to eat. He asked for the car to be brought around.

He got into the car and pulled the folded picture out of his jacket pocket. He studied it once more before tucking it away.

"Where to Takashi-sama?" the driver asked.

"Shien Dojo," he answered.

"Yes, Sir," the driver said and off they went.

It didn't take long for them to get there. It was still early in the morning so traffic was light. The car stopped in front of the dojo and the driver came around to open the door for Takashi.

"I'll be waiting here for you, Sir," he told him.

"Hmm," Takashi answered and entered the building. There were classes going on. Young children were following their sensei, training in the style of karate. In another room, young teens were training in judo. Takashi surveyed the building and pulled out the photograph. He tried to make sense of the blurred background trying to place any decoration on the walls. One of the sensei approached him while he was looking between the photo and the dojo.

"May I help you?" the middle-aged man asked.

Takashi looked at him and decided to ask a question, "Do you ever work with any photographers to enhance your advertising?"

"Uh, no, not often. We usually just advertise in the papers," he answered and then squinted his eyes. He was taking him in. His eyes went wide, "Oh, you're a Morinozuka."

"Yes, Sir," Takashi bowed.

"What is it that you're looking for?"

"A photographer who recently took a photograph in a dojo. It seems this is not the place."

"Any idea what this photographer looks like?"

"No," Takashi answered. "All I know is that she is a young woman."

"Ah, no, we have not had any contact with any female photographers. Only a family friend who does the pictures of the students. And he is not so young anymore." The man chuckled.

"Thank you for your help," Takashi bowed.

"Of course," the man bowed back. "Have a nice day, Morinozuka-sama."

"You as well," Takashi answered before exiting the building.

His driver opened the door to the car when he saw him. He then got in himself.

"Where to next?" he asked.

"Kenjoto Dojo," Takashi answered.

The driver nodded and the car started moving again. Takashi was hoping desperately that he would be able to make a connection at this next dojo. He did not want to confront Mitsukuni about the photographs. He rubbed a hand down his face and sighed.

"Is everything all right, Sir?" the driver asked looking in the rear view mirror.

"Yes," Takashi answered.

They reached the Kenjoto Dojo within fifteen minutes. The driver opened the door and Takashi made his way into the building. This one was packed with five different rooms all teaching different levels of varying martial arts. He pulled the picture out of his pocket and unfolded it. He looked at each of the rooms trying his best not to be a distraction to the students. He was approached by a middle-aged woman this time.

"May I help you, Morinozuka-sama?" she asked.

"Yes, can you tell me what forms of martial arts you teach here?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, we teach karate, judo, tae kwon do, and muay thai," she answered. "Karate is our most popular class."

"Muay thai, that's unusual," Takashi commented.

"We're one of the few dojos in the city that offers it," she told him. "Do you have an interest in it?"

"I might," Takashi said and looked at the picture again. "In which room is muay thai taught?"

"Ah, this one here," she said pointing to the room farthest to the right.

"May I take a look?" he asked.

"Of course," she led him to the room and opened the door slightly to check the status of the class. "There are only a few people in here right now. Just our instructors. Go ahead and take a look around. I'm sure the instructors would be happy to answer any questions you have."

"Thank you," Takashi bowed and entered the room. There were three instructors in the room. Two men and one woman, all in their early to mid-twenties. The woman was tall, just under five feet nine inches with a fit body, dark brown eyes, and long dark hair pulled back to the nape of her neck. The men were only slightly taller than her, both with short dark hair, one with large gray eyes, and the other with small brown ones. They looked up when he approached.

"Hello," the woman spoke up. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe," Takashi answered. He looked at the photograph and then around the room.

"You wouldn't happen to be Morinozuka Takashi, would you?" One of the men asked.

"I am," Takashi answered.

The man who spoke stepped down from the ring in the middle of the room. He had a manila folder in his hand. That got Takashi's attention.

"She said you'd be coming," he said holding out the folder to him.

Takashi took it and looked at the other two instructors. "Is she a muay thai fighter or was this just to throw me off?"

"She's another instructor," he answered. "I'll let her know you picked up the folder."

Takashi paused for a moment. He was debating asking her name or anything else about her. "Can you tell me anything else about her?"

The girl spoke, "No, she told us not to give anything away."

"Hmm," Takashi acknowledged her response. "Thank you."

"Have a nice day," she said as Takashi left the room.

He walked out of the building and got into the car. The driver pulled out of the parking spot. "Where to now, Sir?"

"Home," Takashi answered. He kept fiddling with the file. He didn't want to open it until he was in the privacy of his room. Within twenty minutes they reached the Morinozuka compound.

Takashi walked into his home and up the stairs to his bedroom. He could here Satoshi listening to his music and being loud as usual. He loved his brother, but sometimes he wondered how they were related. He shook his head as he closed the door to his room and sat at his desk. He stared at the folder. He was anxious.

Takashi took a breath and opened the folder. Two photos fell out. The first one was a picture of him and Mitsukuni walking out of the university together last night. Mitsukuni was smiling while he told Takashi something. Takashi was looking at his cousin intent on listening. The other picture was of an empty classroom. From what he could tell, it looked like it was from the high school section of Ouran. He sat back in the chair and took a good look at the picture. He lifted it toward the ceiling. Light shone through the back of the photograph and he could see words. He flipped it over and read, '_I hope that last photograph gave you a better idea of who I am. This one should be easy for you_.' Takashi turned the photo over and looked at it again. It was definitely a classroom in the high school section of Ouran. He inhaled deeply and scanned the empty desks. Two stood out in particular.

Takashi pulled the magnifying glass out of the top desk drawer. He looked at the first desk that stood out to him. On the desktop was covered little dragon statues. He looked at the other desk. In the seat he saw Mitsukuni's Usa-chan sitting. Takashi stared at it for another moment before slowly putting the photo down. He remembered how his father suggested going to the Haninozuka dojo and now Usa-chan was sitting at a desk in a picture sent from his anonymous stalker. He groaned and slumped in the chair. He was going to have to confront his cousin after all.

Standing from the desk, Takashi made his way out of his room and next door to his brother's room. He knocked and when there was no answer due to the loud music, he knocked louder. The stereo shut off and light footsteps ran to the door. It opened and Satoshi stood there with a smile on his face.

"Hey Taka-kun," Satoshi greeted. "What's up?"

"What's Yasuchika up to today?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, he's at home," he answered. "He's meeting Mitsukuni's girlfriend."

Takashi nodded. "Has Yasuchika mentioned anything odd going on at home?"

"No, of course not," Satoshi said not understanding what his brother was asking.

"Hmm," Takashi groaned. How was he going to ask without being blunt?

"What's wrong, Taka-kun?"

"I think," he paused. "I think Mitsukuni is hiding something from me."

"I can ask Chika-chan," Satoshi said holding up his phone.

"No, no, that's okay," Takashi exhaled heavily. "I'll talk to Mitsukuni myself."

Takashi walked away. Satoshi was used to his brother's tendencies to walk away when a conversation was over. He shut his door and went back to listening to his music.

Takashi made his way to the room just off the side garden. The meditation room was what he needed right now. He needed to think. He took his house slippers off and entered the silent room. He immediately felt tension release from his shoulders. Takashi sat in the middle of the room and crossed his legs. He closed his eyes and just breathed. Nothing felt better right now than breathing. He felt his body become lighter as he let every emotion and though pass through his mind, not dwelling on a single thought.

He was finally able to think calmly about the situation he was in. He wasn't being blackmailed per say, but if Mitsukuni had been drawn in against his will, then there was a big problem. On the other hand, what if he was involved of his own accord? That was when the feelings of betrayal sunk into the pit of Takashi's stomach. He exhaled heavily trying to get rid of that thought. The other picture in the file had been of him and Mitsukuni together. He forced himself to move on to the next thought. The next logical idea was that she had sent him that picture with Usa-chan in it just to make him believe Mitsukuni was somehow involved. That made him feel a little relieved. But how would she get Usa-chan? Unless maybe it was a look-alike.

Takashi opened his eyes and noticed the way the shadows had moved. He must have spent a couple of hours in the meditation room. There was a knock at the door. It slid open to reveal his father.

"Taka-kun," he smiled. "How did it go today?"

"I found a folder at the Kenjoto Dojo. Thank you for your help," Takashi answered.

His father entered the room and closed the door. He came to sit across from his son and looked at him carefully.

"Something troubles you, though," he said slowly. "Something you found in the photograph."

"Hmm," Takashi nodded.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say it has something to do with Mitsukuni-kun," he said.

Takashi's eyes snapped to his father. He nodded his head.

"Yorihisa-kun told me just a little bit ago that Mitsukuni-kun mentioned something about helping a friend with a project. One that involved pictures," Akira said.

There it was again. The pit of betrayal opened wide in Takashi's stomach. He felt a burn in his throat. He changed his sitting position so that he could hug his knees. He lowered his forehead and exhaled shakily.

"Are you all right, Takashi?"

He couldn't speak; he knew his voice would betray him. He shook his head. He felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"What was in the picture that made you think of Mitsukuni-kun in the first place?"

"His Usa-chan was sitting at a desk in a classroom at Ouran," Takashi said barely above a whisper.

"Ah," Akira said releasing his hold on his son's shoulder. "Do you think she may have sent you that picture intentionally? Maybe to make you confront your cousin."

"I don't know," Takashi said quietly showing no emotion, still hiding his face. His throat burned even more now.

Akira was quiet. He watched his son breath in and out, still not lifting his head. Still showing no emotion.

"What are you feeling Takashi-kun?" he asked.

Takashi finally lifted his head; the muscles in his jaw looked strained. "I feel angry and sad at the same time. I feel betrayed."

Akira nodded silently, then said, "You should speak with Mitsukuni-kun."

Before Takashi could respond there was a light rapping on the door. He looked across the room. Mitsukuni was standing there holding his Usa-chan. He looked at his cousin and saw the hurt in his eyes. Mitsukuni squeezed his stuffed rabbit harder and then opened his mouth.

"Takashi, can we talk?" he asked quietly. "There's something I need to tell you, but by the look in your eyes I think you already know."

Akira stood and left the room to give them privacy. Mitsukuni closed the door and walked to his cousin.

"I need to talk to you about the photographs," Mitsukuni started.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Takashi," Mitsukuni said quietly. He looked at his tall cousin, the sadness was evident in his eyes. "I should have told you from the beginning."

Takashi nodded showing he was listening. He couldn't look Mitsukuni in the eyes.

"She came to me," Mitsukuni started. "She asked for my help. She didn't mean any harm. After a while I could see the whole charade was putting a lot of pressure on you so I told her I couldn't keep quiet anymore. I asked her to out me in the next set of photographs. I'm assuming she kept her promise."

Takashi nodded again. He stared at the floor.

"I-I'm sorry, T-Takashi," Mitsukuni's eye were welling up with tears as he hugged his Usa-chan tighter. "I-I just wanted t-to help."

Takashi lifted his head and asked one question, "Who is she?"

Mitsukuni gasped, "I don't want to give her away. She would be so mad."

"I'm mad, Mitsukuni," Takashi said quietly.

"She really likes you. She has for a long time, but she was afraid you wouldn't remember her. I told her I would help because I thought, maybe she would be a good match for you."

Takashi furrowed his brow. He tightened his hold on his knees, "Why are you so worried, Mitsukuni?"

"I just want you to be happy," the blonde boy answered.

"Hmm," Takashi looked at the floor again.

"I have Reiko-chan, and she makes me so happy. I just wanted to help you find someone that would make you happy, too."

"You make me happy, Mitsukuni," Takashi answered. "I mean, I'm interested in women, but I don't know what to say."

Mitsukuni nodded. He got on his knees and sat across from his cousin. "I didn't want to hurt you, Takashi. I'm so sorry."

Takashi nodded.

"W-will you forgive me?"

Takashi nodded.

Mitsukuni smiled and scooted closer to Takashi. "Otou-san and Kaa-san really like Reiko-chan."

"Good," Takashi said as he tapped his knees with his long fingers.

"Chika-chan acted like he didn't care, but I think Reiko-chan made him smile," Mitsukuni giggled.

Takashi nodded again. He still felt heaviness in his chest. He almost felt like crying. He hid his face in his knees so Mitsukuni couldn't see him.

"Takashi," Mitsukuni scooted next to him. He put his hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Takashi shook his head silently saying he didn't want to talk about it. He squeezed his knees tighter.

"I'm sorry, Takashi," the smaller cousin said barely above a whisper. There was silence for a while. "Do you want to hold Usa-chan?"

Takashi reached one hand out keeping his head against his knees. Mitsukuni put the pink stuffed rabbit in his hand. Takashi pulled the animal close to his chest. It felt a little comforting. As he sat there in silence holding the pink rabbit, his cousin still holding his shoulder, Takashi felt the tightness in his throat getting worse and a burning sensation in his eyes. He didn't realize the tears had started to fall until he felt Mitsukuni's arms wrap around his shoulders.

"I'm s-so s-sorry, Takashi," Mitsukuni wailed into his cousin's shoulder.

"It hurts, Mitsukuni," Takashi said through his tears. "You lied to me."

He raised his head and Mitsukuni sat back tears streaming down his face, too. Takashi shook his head and handed Usa-chan back.

"I think you should go home," Takashi said quietly wiping his eyes. "I'll see you at school on Monday."

Mitsukuni's bottom lip trembled as his big brown eyes welled up with fresh tears. Takashi stood and walked to the door. The smaller cousin followed whimpering. Takashi didn't walk him to the door. He just watched as Mitsukuni walked past his father who had been standing just outside the room during the whole conversation.

"Takashi," Akira began seeing his son's tear stained face.

Takashi shook his head and turned away from his father. He went to his room and closed the door. The heaviness was still in his chest. He laid on his bed face down. He hid his face in a pillow and breathed deeply. Piyo and the tanuki crawled up on the bed with him. They curled up on either side of his waist. He just laid there trying to calm his breathing and racing mind.

Takashi jumped when he felt a hand rubbing his back. He hadn't heard his mother come in. She sat on the edge of the bed and continued to calmly rub his back. Takashi turned his head to the side to look at his mother. He hadn't realized how much she looked like Mitsukuni. Being a former Haninozuka she has soft blonde hair and bright brown eyes. She looked down at him and gave him a soft smile. He groaned.

"Your father told me what happened," she said quietly. "You know Mitsukuni-kun didn't mean any harm."

"He lied to me," Takashi said. "That's what hurts the most." He hid his face in the pillow again.

"Oh, sweetheart he was only trying to help. You help him with everything and he just wanted to make sure you were happy."

Takashi spoke into the pillow, "Why did he think I was unhappy in the first place?"

"I don't know," his mother paused and then changed the subject. "Did you learn anything about the girl?"

Takashi turned his head to look at her again, "She practices muay thai."

"Oh, well that's something," she smiled. "Anything else?"

"She went to Mitsukuni for help with this project," Takashi said averting his eyes. "Otou-san told me."

"Ah, so Mitsukuni-kun has been involved since the beginning," she continued to rub his back.

"I think I met her sometime before or during high school," Takashi continued.

"What makes you say that?"

"The picture I got today was taken in a classroom at Ouran in the high school section."

"Well, why don't you look at everything she's given you. Maybe you can figure out who she is," she leaned down and kissed her son's cheek.

"Maybe."

"Dinner is ready whenever you want to come join us, okay?" she stood and Takashi instantly missed her hand on his back.

He nodded and watched his mother leave his room. He took a deep breath and flipped onto his back making both Piyo and the tanuki jump. He sighed and thought about looking through all the pictures like his mother suggested. He sat up and wiped his sore and still slightly wet eyes. He walked to his desk and pulled out the folders from the top drawer. He emptied them and put them in order. He put the ones of him in one line and the ones with the clues in a line below. Before he could start really looking at them his stomach growled loudly. He stepped back and sighed. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

Takashi made his way to the dining room where his family was already seated and eating. When he entered the room his mother, father, and brother looked up at him. Satoshi was the first to speak.

"Hey Taka-nii," he greeted with a smile.

Takashi nodded and took his seat at the table. His family went back to eating. He ate quietly while observing his family. He listened to his mother speaking to his father. She asked about his day and he countered by asking about her day. She went into a long story about meeting up with her girlfriends. Takashi noticed his father acknowledged her story every once in a while with a well-placed "mhmm" or an "is that so." Takashi felt a light tug on his lips, he knew that within the next couple of minutes his mother would ask "are you even listening to me?" It was the same every time she told a story at the dinner table. He knew his father really did listen, he just wasn't particularly interested, especially when she talked about her friends.

Takashi had asked his father about that once a few years ago. He had asked his father, "why don't you like her friends?"

To which, Akira replied, "It's not that I don't like them. It's that they don't like me."

"Why wouldn't they like you? You make her happy," Takashi countered.

"Sometimes I feel guilty, having fallen in love with your mother," Akira's eyes had softened at that line. When he looked back up at his son he looked sad, "She could have chosen anyone."

Takashi had never seen this side of his father, "But she chose you, Otou-san."

His father smiled brightly at that, "She did."

Takashi was broken from his trip down memory lane when his father called out to him. Takashi's head snapped up, his eyes going directly to his father.

"I asked you a question," he said cocking his head to the side looking at his son curiously.

"I'm sorry," Takashi composed himself. "What was the question?"

"I asked you if you will make up with Mitsukuni," he repeated.

"I will," he answered.

"When?"

"I don't know."

"Soon, I hope."

"Yes, Sir," Takashi answered knowing his father's tone. He wasn't giving him a choice.

"Satoshi, do you want to attempt Nationals this year?" Akira turned to his younger son.

"Yeah!" he yelled a grin on his face. "Will you let me train with you?"

"Of course," Akira smiled.

"And you, Takashi?"

"Yes."

"You should train with each other then, as well," he said.

And that was the end of dinner. Akira had the final word. He rose from the table, followed shortly by his wife. Takashi let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. Satoshi looked at him.

"What's wrong, Taka-nii?" he asked. "You and Mitsukuni get in a fight or something?"

"Yeah," he answered shortly.

"What about?"

"It's not your business, Satoshi."

Satoshi pouted a little and turned back to his food. He grumbled a little before speaking again.

"What do you think of Mitsukuni's girlfriend?" he asked. "Yasuchika thinks she's creepy."

"She's a good person and she makes Mitsukuni happy," Takashi answered finishing his food. He stood and left the room. He wanted to look at the pictures again. On his way back to his room he went past his parents' bedroom. From which he could hear them having an argument. Takashi found this highly unusual. He knew he shouldn't listen but they were starting to become loud and it was hard for him not to hear.

"Don't be so hard on him, Akira," his mother sighed.

"He's eighteen, Hiromi. He walked out of that room looking like a four year old with tears running down his face," his father answered.

Takashi's heart sank hearing those words from his father. He had tried so hard not to cry and he was embarrassed, but it was worse knowing his father thought him weak.

"Mitsukuni hurt him," his mother started.

"That is no excuse," Akira shot back.

"If my brother had lied to you, you wouldn't take it so lightly," Hiromi raised her voice at him. "It is no different."

"He showed no control," Akira started but was cut off by his angry wife.

"So he let himself show emotion for once, so what?! He's your son, and he's hurting. And all you worry about is that he cried? What is wrong with you Akira?!" she screamed.

Takashi left the hallway knowing that soon she or his father would come storming out of the room. He shut his bedroom door quietly and went to the bathroom. He removed his contacts, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. He found his glasses on his nightstand and put them on.

Sitting at his desk he looked over the photographs. He kept his focus on the ones with clues. The first one had the clues written on her nails but he wanted to look closer at the picture. Maybe there was something else hidden. Her clothing was professional; a black skirt that stopped just above her knees and a light blue sleeveless blouse. He couldn't find anything unusual about her clothing or stance in the photograph. He moved on to the next one, the foot. He assumed it was her foot and now that he knew she practiced muay thai, the picture made sense. He scanned his eyes over the most recent photograph. The desk with the little dragons was what he needed to figure out. The word for dragon in Japanese is "ryo." He tried to think of any way the mythical animal was related to someone he knew. That's when he had an idea.

Takashi opened his laptop and searched "Chinese New Year." He wanted to see the years the dragon represented. That wasn't it. The only year within the age bracket he was looking for was 1988, and before that was 1976. He groaned. He had high hopes for that idea until he realized his sign was the dragon. He was almost certain this was a girl he went to school with but he knew she wasn't in the same class, let alone the same year. Mitsukuni had mentioned at first sight that she was older. If he had met her in high school she couldn't have been more than two years his senior.

He couldn't think about it anymore. He had such a long day and it was time to get some much needed rest. Takashi shut down his laptop, turned off the lamp on his desk, and got himself situated in bed. That night he dreamed of many things he had forgotten.


End file.
